Ideapad A1 meets reqs. Why no video?

[kuik2c]

Ya! we wait long enough! 

when that's A2, A3, A4...then no body will care this issue anymore...

Actually this problem also happen with chinese video chating software QQ.

[aurora8090]

Same here.  Just got my Ideapad A1.  The video call is the reason I bought this pad in the first place.  Now the image is upside down when I use the front cam. Really frustrating......

[dan200sx]

Folks, this may sound crazy, but which way up are you holding the A1?  Could someone try making a call to a Skype desktop client while holding the tablet in landscape with the camera on the left, and then test again with the camera on the right?

The A1 does not support OpenGL, so we are not currently able to rotate video streams during a video call and hence the calling screens are locked to landscape.  They are also locked in only one landscape orientation... so it is possible that the device is 'upside down'.

Please humour me, and try the test above, then report back in here?

Thanks

Dan

[bluesurfer]

Dan,

I tried your test. Holding A1 in landscape with front camera on right gave video footage on desktop client in correct orientation, however both main feed and front cam thumbnail displays on A1 upside down.

When A1 held so front camera on left the main feed on the A1 is correct, however the front cam thumbnail on A1 and the main feed on the desktop client are upside down. 

What you think - fixable??? I hope so.

[nickwaller1]

Dan. 

I appreciate your efforts to try to fix this and thanks for keeping us updated.  However, I like many others, don't even have an upside down image.  My video is broadcasting a black screen.  I can see the other caller but they can't see me.  One of the biggest reasons for buying the A1 was skype.  I feel conned as this is not Skype compatible device as advertised.

I really need a time frame for the fix or I have to buy a new pad as I need it for my work and online study lessons.  Please do the decent thing and save me the additional cost by telling me if this is getting fixed and when.  Thanks.

[nickwaller1]

After much fiddling I am now up to speed, by which I mean I have upside video and my mic isn't working, but my above reply still applies. Thanks.

[larsmeinecke]

Dan,

thanks for working on this issue and keeping the community informed.

I also tried your test with the A1 and these are my results holding the A1 in landscape orientation:

• with front camera on the left: video image on Skype client is upside down and it is mirrored
• with front camera on the right: the video image on Skype client is in correct orientation, but it is mirrored

So, it seems that the front camera image is always mirrored.

I'm not much into hardware programming but maybe the mirror issue and the upside down image have a similar cause. Maybe the definition of something like the first dot of the video image - which may be in the upper left corner, e.g.?

Moreover there seems to be an issue with the digital zoom level of the front camera. With Skype it seems to me that the front camera operates at zoom level 3 of 4 - and should be operating at level 1. This may result in the far too large image that Skype users also report when using Skype with the A1 front camera.

I think we all would be very grateful to you if you could arrange for a (quick) fix of this issue. Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Lars

[samiam]

Any updates on this issue? I just bought the Lenovo IdeaPad to use with video Skype calls, but the upside down image is a drag.

[larsmeinecke]

Hi there,

@Dan:

Have you been able to make some progress on the matter since last Thursday? Would be great if you could keep us up to date.

@Community:

Meanwhile I tried some video calls with the alternative "Tango video calls" application - you can pick it up at the market / Google Play. At first with Tango the front camera video also was rotated but you can easily tweak the app's default setting for this and video calls with with the Ideapad A1 are then as you'd expect them to be. Here's what you need to do after installing Tango:

http://support.tango.me/entries/20699798-android-my-outgoing-video-is-upside-down-or-rotated-what-ca...

For me the code "*ffc2#" did work well.

This at least shows that technically it is possible to have fluent video calls with the A1. I really hope that Dan will be able to also make it work with Skype!

[dan200sx]

Hi folks

Thanks for your patience on this - we've been really scratching our heads here over this one.

It seems that the device does not allow the usual rotation of UI, and hence the issue many of you are seeing with rotated video.  It's a Lenovo issue (as evidenced by Tango having the same issue), though it can be worked around with a forced rotation by the app.  We've seen a similar problem on other devices, so are investigating a 'rotate image' button within the app.  There are some trade offs to be made, but I am hopeful it is something we can implement in our next release.  I have the video experts working on it, and will let you know if the next release resolves this issue.

Bear with us a little longer - I wish this were something we could release a 'quick fix' for, but alas it is more complex than that!

Dan